Li Yichang () (d. 909/910) was an ethnically-

Dangxiang The Tangut people (Tangut language, Tangut: , ''mjɨ nja̱'' or , ''mji dzjwo''; ; ; ) were a Sino-Tibetan languages, Sino-Tibetan people who founded and inhabited the Western Xia, Western Xia dynasty. The group initially lived under Tuyuhun aut ...

warlord of the Chinese Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms state Later Liang, ruling Dingnan Circuit (定難, headquartered in modern

Yulin, Shaanxi Yulin ( zh, s=榆林 , p=Yúlín , ‘’’local pronunciation: �y³⁵ˌljʌŋ��’’) is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanbei region of Shaanxi province, China, bordering Inner Mongolia to the north, Shanxi to the east, and Ningxia to th ...

) from 908 to his death in 909 or 910, as its military governor (''

Jiedushi The ''jiedushi'' (, Old Turkic: Tarduş) or jiedu, was a regional military governor in China; the title was established in the Tang dynasty and abolished in the Yuan dynasty. The post of ''jiedushi'' has been translated as "military commissi ...

'') in ''de facto'' independence.

Biography

It is not known when Li Yichang was born. The traditional histories conflict on Li Yichang's relationship with his predecessor Li Sijian. The '' History of the Five Dynasties'','' History of the Five Dynasties'', vol. 132. the ''

New History of the Five Dynasties The ''Historical Records of the Five Dynasties'' (''Wudai Shiji'') is a Chinese history book on the Five Dynasties period (907–960), written by the Song dynasty official Ouyang Xiu in private. It was drafted during Ouyang's exile from 1036 t ...

'',''

'', vol. 40. and the ''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

''''

'', vol. 267. all indicated that he was Li Sijian's son. However, the '' History of Song'' indicated that he was the grandson of Li Sijian's predecessor and older brother Li Sigong.'' History of Song'', vol. 485. In any case, when Li Sijian died in 908, Li Yichang claimed the title of acting military governor of Dingnan. Shortly after, Later Liang's emperor

Zhu Quanzhong Emperor Taizu of Later Liang (), personal name Zhu Quanzhong () (December 5, 852 – July 18, 912), né Zhu Wen (), name later changed to Zhu Huang (), nickname Zhu San (朱三, literally, "the third Zhu"), was a Chinese military general, mona ...

bestowed on him the title of full military governor. Li Yichang's rule of Dingnan was short. In 909 or 910, his officer Gao Zongyi () mutinied and killed him. The officers and soldiers of Dingnan then killed Gao and supported

Li Renfu Li Renfu (李仁福) (died March 10, 933''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol. 278.Academia Sinicabr>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter), possibly né Tuoba Renfu (拓拔仁福), formally the Prince of Guo (虢王), was an ethnic Dangxiang (Tangut) warlord durin ...

—a relative of Li Yichang's, one generation higher—as the new ruler of Dingnan. Li Renfu was thereafter made the new military governor by Zhu Quanzhong. (Li Yichang's death year was given as 909 by the ''History of the Five Dynasties'' and the ''New History of the Five Dynasties'' and 910 by the ''Zizhi Tongjian''.)

Notes

Dingnan jiedushi Later Liang (Five Dynasties) jiedushi People from Northwest China 9th-century births 10th-century deaths Tang dynasty people 10th-century Tangut people 9th-century Tangut people {{China-mil-bio-stub